Scott Throws Record Six TD Passes in Win Against Earham

RICHMOND, IND.  --  Junior quarterback Logan Scott (Curtice/Genoa) threw a school single-game record six touchdown passes to help lead the Defiance College football team to a 59-28 win against Earlham (Ind.) College in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference game in Richmond, Ind.

Scott threw five of his TD passes in the first half alone and ended the day with 239 yards on 12-of-28 passing.  Scott's 239 passing yards were part of 516 total yards offensively for the Yellow Jackets in the game.  

Freshman Quenell Rutledge (Deltona, Fla./University High School) was Scott's top target with three catches for a game-high 129 yards and three scores.  Fellow freshman DeVonte Cravin (Ama, La./Hahnville) also caught three passes and had 75 yards to go along with two TD.  Senior Cody Wilson (McComb) joined Rutledge and Cravin with three receptions for 28 yards.  

Defiance had 196 yards on the ground led by freshman Demaria Washington (Miami, Fla./Dr. Phillips) with a game-high 93 yards on seven carries with two TD.  Sophomore Corey Bennett (Tampa, Fla./Blake) also had a strong day with 79 yards in 17 attempts.

Defensively, the Yellow Jackets accounted for seven takeaways (six interceptions and one fumble).  Junior Kolton Davis (Toledo/Bowsher) had a game and career-high 10 tackles (seven solo and three assists).  Sophomore Jalin Nealy (Pontiac, Mich./West Bloomfield) added nine tackles with two tackles for loss, including a sack.  Senior Kenny Jones (Toledo/Bowsher) and sophomore Dalin Brown (Port St. Lucie, Fla./St. Lucie West Centinnial) both had a pair of interceptions.

DC (2-3, 1-2 HCAC) came out looking to make a statement early outscoring Earlham (0-4, 0-2 HCAC), 26-14, in the first quarter.  But it would be the Quakers who struck first by intercepting a Yellow Jacket pass on the second play from scrimmage to begin the game and returned it 15 yards for the score to grab the early 7-0 lead.  

The Jackets responded with 26 unanswered points beginning wtih a 37-yard scamper by Washington on the ensuing possession following the Quaker "pick-six."  The run capped a two-play, 60-yard drive that lasted just 50 seconds. Scott then went to work through the air scoring DC's next three TD via the long ball that included two completions to Cravin of 24 and 39 yards.  Scott's other TD throw was to sophomore Nate Roberts (St. Petersburg, Fla./Boca Ciega) on an 18-yard connection.  Earlham scored the final points of the quarter to end the scoring run, but the Jackets still led, 26-14, after the first 15 minutes.  

The only points of the second quarter were scored by DC on two more TD tosses by Scott of 14 yards to Rutledge and 41 yards to freshman Pierce Vermillion (St. Cloud, Fla./Alder Wood Academy) that increased the Jacket lead to 39-14 at halftime.

A little over half-way through the third period, Scott and Rutledge connected again to end a drive that was set up by a Kenny Jones interception.  Rutledge was on the receiving end of a 34-yard pass to extend the margin to 46-14 heading into the fourth quarter.

Both teams found the endzone twice in the final 15 minutes with the two teams trading scoring drives.  The first TD of the period came on an 81-yard completion from junior John McKinney (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Northrop) to Rutledge.  The final score of the day for the Jackets was a 31-yard run by Washington with just under a minute-and-a-half to go.  The Quakers recorded TD on a pair of rushes of six yards and eight yards to round out the scoring, but it was DC who came out victorious with the final of 59-28.

Earlham was led by Wes Hundley who had a combined 197 yards of total offense.  He rushed for a team-high 67 yards on 10 carries and had one TD.  Hundley also caught team and game-highs of 10 receptions for 130 yards.  

Defiance will look to keep the momentum going when it travels to North Manchester, Ind. for a HCAC matchup against Manchester (Ind.) University next Saturday, Oct. 8.  The game is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m.